By: Bolkiah called true friend of PH
President Duterte reaffirmed the Philippines’ long and enduring ties with Brunei during his one-day official visit to the Southeast Asian neighbor last Friday.
Duterte, who returned to Davao City at 1:47 a.m. yesterday, was in Brunei to attend the 50th jubilee celebration of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah’s accession to the throne.
According to presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella, Duterte personally conveyed his warm greetings to Bolkiah and described him as the country’s true friend.
“The President also reaffirmed the long and enduring ties between the Philippines and Brunei Darussalam and renewed the special friendship between the two countries,” Abella said.
“The President has described His Majesty the Sultan as a friend of the Philippines in the truest and most profound sense of the word,” he added.
According to the Palace official, Duterte recognized Bolkiah’s principled commitment to the pursuit of just and lasting peace and development in Mindanao, the well-being of Filipinos in Brunei, and his unequalled efforts to bring the two countries closer to each other.
“The President looks forward to further broaden and deepen bilateral cooperation with Brunei Darussalam, as well as to advancing efforts toward a more peaceful, prosperous, and progressive ASEAN,” Abella said.
The golden anniversary celebration of Bolkiah’s accession to the throne is Duterte’s first official overseas trip since June after canceling all scheduled foreign journeys to focus on the war in Marawi City.
The overnight trip to Brunei also came almost a year after Duterte’s first visit to that country as part of him being the chairman of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
There are 23,000 Filipinos living in Brunei.
